It was late into the evening. It has been a long ride for both Edward and his fiancée, Geraldine as they have begun their travelling early in the morning. For it was less than a fortnight ago when Edward Norton and his family have received a letter from his uncle. His uncle, who has been bedridden with sickness for quite a while, has his life hanging on the thinnest of thread. Even the best physicians and chemists have tried their best and, despite their best effort, they could do nothing except to watch him deteriorate day after day, as he slowly loses bits of himself. Now, with his death nigh, he has called upon his butler to pen a letter for him, which was to be sent to Edward Norton and his family. The content of such letter is stated as below.
Dear Joseph and Cassandra Norton
I am sure that this letter did not come to you as a surprise, as you are aware of my current condition and the ailment that I suffer. The physicians have yet to diagnose this strange ailment, however, I fear that they are running out of time for I can feel my health waning with each passing day. Therefore, you can imagine the joy that swelled in my heart when I heard of the arranged marriage between your son Edward and the daughter of the highly esteemed Lord Bachus. It is my understanding that this wedding is set for the foreseeable future. I only wish that I may have the opportunity to see this sweet and blessed couple before my time is up.
The only thing holding me back is the current status of my health, which makes travelling nearly impossible, let alone long distance travel. I beseech you, if able, to allow this couple to come and stay in my abode for a few days so that I may have one last chance to share some time with them before I depart this realm.
During their stay, my butler Gerard will ensure that all the necessary food and house-keeping are attended to. They should make themselves at home, for Gerard and I are the only occupants of this house. I understand the predicament of this couple and I am able to provide separate rooms for both Edward and Geraldine, as I am sure that Lord Bachus would most certainly object to the couple sharing the same room before they are married.
Please consider this the dying wish of an uncle who loves his nephew dearly, lest I will turn in my graves knowing that I never get to see them once last time.
Yours sincerely
George Norton
Upon receiving this letter, Joseph Norton has liaised with Lord Henry Bachus that they may allow this couple to travel together to Barnsley to visit George one last time, lest they will never get the chance again. Lord Henry Bachus have agreed to this proposition, in order to fulfill the old man his final wish. It was then on one morning of October that Edward and Geraldine have packed their luggage into the coach and set out to Barnsley. Fortunately, it was mid-autumn and the air is ambient, making long-distance travel somewhat more bearable. The couple will travel with only brief stops in between so as to allow the horses to rest and they are expected to reach their destination before sunset. Should there be a need, they will stop and seek for overnight lodging, as the highway men were notorious around the regions. Growing up, Edward was taught the skill of archery and sword-fighting. His father believed that a true gentleman should acquaint himself with the art of combat. However, although Edward has proven to be adept at combat skills, he never developed a liking for it. Instead, he found his interest in activities that stimulated his mind, with chess being his favourite past time.
The same could be said for his fiancée, Geraldine Bachus, for she was taught the art of music at a young age. Like many nobles in her area, the ability to play the piano adeptly was required. When Edward has met Geraldine for the first time, he felt that there were so much they have in common and that she was the woman for him. However, several days after their first meeting, she has suddenly expressed her emotions rather differently than the one he has observed previously. She seemed distant and inattentive as if troubled by an internal woe. On several occasions, Edward has encouraged her to discuss her worries with him, however, she had only assured him that everything was in good order. Whatever troubled Geraldine somehow seemed to have been resolved, as no sooner than their encounter a week later, Edward was relieved to discover that Geraldine has returned to her old self. The once dreary and worried countenance was replaced with the gleaming smiles and cheerfulness. Although the exact reason was unknown, Edward has concluded that Geraldine could have merely been anxious about the arranged marriage.
That was about a month ago and everything was going according to plan. After a lengthy discussion between Joseph Norton and Henry Bachus, they have both agreed that Edward and Geraldine would both spend two nights with their uncle. Growing up, Edward and his uncle George were quite close, until recently when he fell ill. George started confining himself in the house and does not receive guests as often as he used to. Having witnessed the transition of his uncle from once a fine gentleman to a bed-ridden patient, Edward was somewhat glad to hear that they would be spending his last few days with him. At lengths, Lord Bachus have warned Geraldine about standing too close to George in fear that she might also catch this strange ailment.
So it is on this one morning of October that the couple has departed their hometown of Kenilworth to travel to Barnsley. Joseph Norton has employed their trusted and most experienced coachman, Fred Wentworth, to oversee the sound travel of his son and his fiancée.
It has been quite a while since they have left Kenilworth and they could sense their journey is drawing to a close. Geraldine was resting her eyes while Edward was gazing out into the country scenery. It would have been close to sunset, however, his uncle's house is not too far beyond. It was then when a loud CRACK was heard coming from under the coach. The sound was so loud that it startled Geraldine from her nap.
"What is that?" Geraldine asked with a worrying tone.
"I am not sure, I will go out and check. You should stay here," Edward replied.
No sooner have they stopped their conversation did the carriage came to a complete halt. When Edward exited the carriage, he could see Fred was already bending down to examine the cause of this concerning sound. Edward observed Fred, as Fred dropped onto his knees and swung his lantern from left to right, sweeping the underside of the carriage with his eyes. After a while, he finally got up and dusted his pants before facing Edward.
"Is everything alright?" Edward inquired, hoping Fred would tell him that everything is fine and that they could resume with their travelling. Fred's expression, on the other hand, seemed to be telling otherwise.
"No Sir, I am afraid one of the axles is broken," Fred responded. "It would appear that the bumpy country road might have been the cause of such damage."
"This is bad news Fred," Edward said, knowing that the sun would be setting imminently. Should they stay around too long, they might find themselves at the mercy of the highway men.
"The axle is not completely broken, but a crack is clearly visible along the shaft. If we continue to proceed slowly, we might still reach your uncle's house. I think in light of the situation, this will be the best course of action," Fred proposed.
At this point, Geraldine has also exited the carriage to join the two gentlemen in their discussion.
"Is everything alright?" Geraldine asked.
"Yes dear, there is just a minor damage on the axle. However, that would not stop us from travelling onward to my uncle's house, albeit at a much slower pace,"
At this point, the sun is beginning to set behind the distant hills. The sky painted red with its departure.
"Look!" Geraldine exclaimed suddenly, pointing her finger to the distant forest. "A town!"
Both gentlemen looked at once and true enough, in a distance, lights could be seen flickering in clusters, resembling that of a town.
"That is strange..." Fred whispered to himself. "Sir, I have travelled this route on several occasions when I used to take your father to visit your uncle. I must say I was never aware that a town existed in this part of the countryside."
However true that is, it was irrefutable that the town is there.
"What is even stranger, this town is not recorded on the map either," Fred added with a confused look on his face as he studied his map.
"Whatever it is, given our current circumstance, I think it would be best that we settle there for the night. Tomorrow morning, we can attend to the carriage. If we are lucky, there might even be a craftsman in that town who would be able to replace the axle for us," Edward suggested, waiting for the others to respond.
True enough, this seemed to be the best option. Should they choose to proceed, they would surely arrive at uncle George's house just before midnight. However, with the looming risk of highway men, it would be safer to retire there for the night.
"I think Edward's idea is our best choice," Geraldine added her voice of agreement, seeing that Fred is not entirely in a position to make such a decision.
"So the town it is then," Fred said and finally put this matter to rest.